The calm before the storm lasted exactly two minutes. Akuma and Yumi had barely begun to recover from the mortifying encounter with Kikidori when the door swung open again—this time revealing Ere'ana.
Yumi froze, her face still flushed from earlier. Akuma, who was lying beside her, looked equally horrified. But the real kicker? Ere'ana walked in right as Akuma… well, finished, or came
The angel princess stood in the doorway, her gaze shifting from Akuma to Yumi and back again. At first, she didn't say anything. She just stared. But the silence wasn't comforting—it was terrifying.
Yumi gulped, sitting up and pulling the blanket tightly around herself. "M-Mom! It's not what it looks like!" she stammered.
Ere'ana's normally soft and serene expression had twisted into something far more menacing. Her golden eyes, usually warm and full of light, now burned with the intensity of a thousand suns.
"Not what it looks like?" Ere'ana repeated, her voice low and dangerous. She stepped further into the room, closing the door behind her with a deliberate click.
Akuma was trembling. He had faced countless demons in his life, endured the battles for the universal rift itself, but this? This was different. Ere'ana's angelic aura, combined with her fury, was suffocating.
Yumi tried to diffuse the situation. "Mom, listen, I—"
"Don't," Ere'ana interrupted, holding up a hand. Her voice was calm, but it only made her more terrifying. "Do not even try to explain this."
Akuma finally found his voice. "M-Ma'am, I—I swear, I—"
Ere'ana's glare turned on him, and he immediately shut up. "You," she said, her tone ice-cold, "get dressed and leave. Now."
Akuma scrambled off the bed, grabbing his clothes and dressing faster than he ever had in his life. He didn't even bother putting on his shoes before bolting out of the room.
Once he was gone, Ere'ana turned her full attention to Yumi.
Yumi tried to meet her mother's gaze but quickly looked away. "Mom, I'm an adult," she muttered. "I can make my own choices."
"An adult?" Ere'ana repeated, her voice rising. "An adult? Yumi, you've been dating this boy for a week! And this is what you're doing? In my house?"
Yumi winced. "Technically, it's Dad's house, and he didn't care."
"Your father doesn't care about anything!" Ere'ana snapped, throwing her hands up in frustration. "I swear, sometimes I feel like I'm the only responsible one in this family!"
Yumi rolled her eyes. "Mom, it's not a big deal. Seriously, you're overreacting."
"Overreacting?" Ere'ana repeated, her voice dripping with disbelief. She gestured wildly at the bed. "You were just… just… doing that in my house, Yumi! With the door unlocked! What if Kael had walked in?"
Yumi frowned. "Kael's a baby. He wouldn't understand."
"That's not the point!" Ere'ana shouted. She took a deep breath, visibly trying to calm herself, but it didn't help much. "You're supposed to be setting an example for your brother, Yumi. And this? This is not it."
Yumi crossed her arms, her embarrassment giving way to defiance. "I didn't ask to be an example," she muttered.
Ere'ana stared at her for a long moment, her expression a mixture of disappointment and anger. Finally, she sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose. "You're impossible," she muttered.
Yumi looked away, guilt creeping in despite her attempts to act unbothered. "I'm sorry, okay?" she mumbled.
Ere'ana didn't respond immediately. She just shook her head and turned to leave the room. "We're not done talking about this," she said over her shoulder before closing the door behind her.
Yumi flopped back onto the bed, groaning. "Great," she muttered to herself. "Just great."
Meanwhile, Ere'ana stormed downstairs, still fuming. She found Kikidori lounging on the couch, eating an apple like nothing had happened.
"You knew," Ere'ana accused, glaring at him.
Kikidori looked up, raising an eyebrow. "Knew what?"
"That your daughter and her boyfriend were… were doing that in her room," Ere'ana said, her voice trembling with anger.
Kikidori shrugged. "Yeah, I walked in on them earlier. Told them not to break the bed."
Ere'ana stared at him in disbelief. "Are you serious right now?"
"What?" Kikidori said, taking another bite of his apple. "She's an adult. Let her live her life."
Ere'ana threw her hands up in frustration. "I can't believe you sometimes," she said, storming into the kitchen.
Kikidori watched her go, then leaned back on the couch, chuckling to himself. "She'll get over it," he muttered.
The End of Chapter 18